Extension Investigation

1. While we can have windy days all over the world, some areas are naturally more prone to have higher wind speeds caused by factors such as air pressure gradients and local weather conditions. Below you will see two maps. The first map identifies potentially where the highest winds would be located in the United States. The second map identifies how much wind energy is captured throughout the United States. Use the following two maps to answer the questions below:

-Where would you expect to see the fastest wind speeds?

-What states have the most wind energy production currently?

-If you were advising the U.S. Department of Energy, where would you recommend that they build more wind turbines? Why?